Hi everyone,
I have a story to tell and a few questions at the end. If you get bored,
please go to the end.
About 4 years ago, I got in over my head and bought a '69 2000. The owner
told me that it needed a new head gasket, but otherwise ran. I had just gotten
done rebuilding (mostly) a '71 VW Bus, so was feeling cocky. I figured I could
sell the bus at a big profit, and thus pay for whatever the Roadster needed. So
I bought it. I got MANY used parts along with it. Two days later, the bus drove
itself into the Sacramento River. I had parked it at work, was late from getting
it smogged, and forgot to set the brake. It's amazing how much pity you get when
your bus is under 20 feet of water. Oh yeah, it hit a tree on the way, so was
totaled. After paying a diver and 2 tow trucks, (A bus makes a heavy fish tank)
I was broke. I got $35 for the bus. I can laugh now, but it was painful.
So I went to work on the U20 motor. I got together all of my parts and the
two pictures I had of the engine compartment, along with Chilton and the
original (poorly translated, poorly organized) shop manual, and a Rallye
catalog. I had no idea the internet even existed. I pulled the head and found
that it had been done before, and whoever put it back together used grease
instead of gasket dressing. I guess they wanted to preserve the gasket. There
were also about 3 extra wires on the distributor. The jackshaft was 180 degrees
off. I rebuilt the entire brake system. The carbs were shot. I figured out by
peeling off the registration stickers that it had been idle since 1985. Someone
had registered it for one year to get it current. Anyway, I still had parts. I
traded and paid for carb parts. Had the head shaved, (it was it's first time)
and put it back together. I bent an exhaust valve in the process, though, but
got it to pass smog. Knowing it was running rough, I didn't drive it any more,
but remember I was broke. I bought an old 64 Ford hay truck to get me around. I
thought I couldn't afford the suspension parts that the roadster needed. Fast
forward...
Now I live in Santa Barbara. New job, including computer training, and I
towed my roadster along with me. I'm tired of getting laughed at here at work,
so I recently pulled the head again, along with the front engine cover. I'm
about to buy the gaskets, and front oil seal. I'm going to try a boot kit for
the front steering and suspension and 4 identical tires.
WHERE DOES THE LITTLE METAL PIECE (thin steel washer???) ON THE CRANKSHAFT
PULLEY GO? It is keyed, and looks like a shaped washer. I put it on wrong the
first time, and it got chewed by the sprocket. I can't find it in any manual
including the on-line parts manual at roadster.org.
HOW CAN I PULL THE BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD ENDS TO PUT ON THE BOOT KIT
WITHOUT TRASHING THEM?
By the way, you guys that have put together roadster websites ought to
have your heads examined. Is this what is meant by roadsteritis? I hope that
it's not contagious through the computer terminal. No really, I'm astounded.
This e-mail exploder is pretty sick too.
Thanks in advance,
Ken
'69 2000
Santa Barbara
------Look for the trashiest one at Solvang if I'm lucky.
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